Hikaru Uchiha
by CherieBlosm
Summary: This is the tale of Hikaru Uchiha and her time in Konoha before the Uchiha massacre. A time when she was innocent, happy and carefree. A time before she sealed her fate in a secret deal with the village elders. A time before everything she had ever known had been slaughtered by the very boy who took her heart. Written as a prequel, full extended summary inside. Itachi/OC.
1. Festivals and Meetings

**Extended Summary - Recommended:**

Originally, I was going to write a story set after the Uchiha massacre about an Uchiha girl who survives the ordeal. The basic outline of that story is about a plan conspired in secret among the Hidden Leaf elders and the young girl, whose name is Hikaru Uchiha. The village elders approach the girl only days before the massacre and pre-warn her, telling her that Itachi must wipe out the entire clan for the greater good of the village, but not telling her why. The elders order her to willingly allow herself and the others to be killed by Itachi and tell her that she will then be the only one brought back to life by the hidden re-birthing jutsu that they will perform themselves, however her memories and chakra will be wiped clean and she will be sent to live away from the village for her own protection.

When Hikaru asks why, the village elders tell her that they are going to use her as a safety net, in case somewhere in the process of the clan massacre, something happens to go wrong and they need leverage (i.e if Itachi can't go through with it etc etc). When Hikaru agrees, she is made to sign a contract and the deal is set. After a few traumatic days leading up the massacre where she fights against herself to keep it a secret, she finally allows herself and the entire clan to be slaughtered by Itachi on the night of the massacre (apart from Sasuke, obviously).

After the massacre and unknown to anybody but the two elders, Danzo and a select few ANBU, Hikaru is brought back to life and with her memories and chakra destroyed, is sent to live in a secret location in small sea-side village under the protection of two Hidden Leaf shinobi, who will act as her parents. Hikaru will spend six or so years living a normal, civilian life in what she perceives to be with her real family, until Sasuke decides to go rogue and the elders order for Hikaru to be brought back to the village immediately, where her memories are restored and she remembers everything about her past life in Konoha, her life with Itachi and her clan, her deal with the elders and finally, how she allowed everybody she had ever loved to die, even though she knew the impending outcome.

Upon learning the current state of both Sasuke (with Orochimaru) and Itachi (with Akatsuki), she goes into a rage and blames the elders for making the wrong decision on ordering the clan to be wiped out, demanding they tell her the reason as to why Itachi was ordered to do so. When they refuse to tell her, she sets out on her own to find the truth, making the promise that she will never again do the dirty work of the Hidden Leaf Village from behind the scenes.

That story will be set when Hikaru is 19-21 and will be posted AFTER this story as a sequel.

This story you are now reading is a prequel and is about her time as a child in Konoha, starting from the day she meets Itachi, leading through her life before the massacre, involving her deal with the Hidden Leaf elders, her traumatic experience leading up to the clan slaughtering and finally, her death by Itachi's hand. The sequel will then be posted starting from the time Hikaru is brought back to life by the elders and sent away.

In this story, Hikaru will range from the ages of 8 and 13, which will be the same ages as Itachi (he's going to be only a couple of months older). Sasuke will range from the ages of 4 and 9, the same as in the actual anime.

This story will be written in Hikaru's perspective and will grow as she matures. I hope that hasn't completely done your head in, but if you have any questions just ask!

Enjoy and let me know what you think.

**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. I do own the basic plot and the OC characters.**

* * *

My name is Hikaru Uchiha.

When I was younger and I looked back through the old books we had at the top of our big bookshelf, I couldn't find photos of any super famous Uchiha heroes, no matter how many pages I looked through. I asked my grandma about it one time and she told me that even though we were Uchiha, we weren't direct decedents of any of the great Uchiha clan leaders from the past, but she had mentioned something about my great, great, great grandpa owning a really cool noodle shop and I like noodles a lot, so I guess that's just as great.

My house is pretty nice, too. Even though it's kind of small, you can still spot it even if you climb all the way to the top of the Hokage tower! It's somewhere around the back of the Uchiha compound, so it's kind of hard to spot because a lot of the houses look the same, but I hung a little red lantern just outside my bedroom window so I could always tell.

My mum's name is Kaori, and even though her hair sometimes sticks out from her ponytail I think she's probably the most beautiful woman I know. She doesn't have a job, but she has dinner waiting for me when I get home _always_. Her cooking sometimes tastes a little bit funny because I don't think she follows a cook book, but I always make sure I eat it all up so I can be just as strong as daddy one day.

Daddy's always away on important missions because he's a ninja, so sometimes I wish he could come home more often just so he could tuck me into bed at night and so that mummy doesn't get too lonely without him, but when I grow up I want to be just like him and protect the village too! I've made a promise with my friends that we'll train extra hard this year at the academy because last year my final marks weren't very good and my teacher told me that I had to work much harder if I wanted to improve.

Because it's coming to the end of Summer break and it's almost time to go back, I've already started on my list so I can keep track of all the supplies I'll need this year. My mum offered to help, but I told her since I'm eight now I can do it all on my own. I'll make sure I show it to my teacher when lessons start back, just in case he wants to give me extra credit.

My story starts on the exact night Konoha held its annual season festival, a time of year I could see pretty lanterns hanging from almost every rooftop…

* * *

It was a warm evening and I skipped happily through the gates of the Uchiha compound, admiring all the colourful festive decorations against the pretty sunset.

I already knew tonight was going to be so great, because a friendly ice-cream shop owner had decided to give me a _double_ free serving of my favourite chocolate cone on the way home.

The village was extra busy as everyone buzzed to life, preparing for tonight's celebrations.

When I made it to our front door, I kicked my sandals off and excitedly ran inside, wiping my sticky ice-cream covered hands all down the front of my brand-new white shirt.

"Hikaru, there you are!" my mum ran from the kitchen, her usually messy hair pulled back in a high, glossy bun. "Where have you been? Oh, never mind that you look a mess! Hurry let's get you cleaned up and washed before we're late, you don't want to miss the fireworks do you?"

After a whole hour of making sure she got every speck of dirt, grime and ice-cream from my face and hair, I was allowed to finally get dressed in my most favourite piece of clothing.

I slipped my arms into the sleeves of the deep, gold kimono that my dad brought back for me from when he went on one of his longer missions to Tea Country. The best thing about it was the amber flowers that swirled around each arm and all the way up from the bottom. Mum had to help me tie the red obi around my waist though because it was a little too big, but she made sure to tie an extra-long bow at the back so it wouldn't fall down even once during the night.

Even though I was trying to grow it, my straight, black hair only went down to my shoulders, so mum had some trouble trying to get it into a bun like hers because little strands kept falling out around my neck. After a couple of minutes she gave up all together and ended up letting me leave it out around my face, which is good because I liked it best that way.

"Oh, my little angel. You look so beautiful." My mum said and kneeled down to squeeze my shoulders. "If only your father could have made it back from his mission early to see how grown up and lovely you look."

I didn't like it when my mum got teary, but I beamed at the compliment and giggled happily as we made our way down the streets and into the centre of Konoha.

I made sure to keep an extra tight grip on her hand as I shuffled along next to her. People were bustling around in all directions, drinking and eating cheerfully at the many food stands set up around the main streets.

"Hikaru! Hikaru!"

Mum and I both turned at the sound of my name being called over the chatty crowd and one of my very best friends, Hitomi, came bounding cheerfully through the thick gathering of people, dragging her smiling mummy and daddy along after her.

Hitomi was in the same class as me at the academy and even though I was a little bit jealous of her pretty, copper hair at first, we became close friends almost straight away. Not many people at the academy liked me very much because I was an Uchiha and I think they might have thought I would be able to get better marks than them without trying, so Hitomi and I only sat with a small group of friends at lunchtime. That was okay though, because I really liked Hitomi and her parents always let us have sleepovers with the rest of our group during the week.

It took a lot of begging, but after having to walk around and listen to the adults talk for what seemed like _forever_, Hitomi and I were allowed to flitter off by ourselves to watch a couple of the puppet shows together. Even though we had to meet our parents again at the water fountain in an hour, we looked at each other in excitement, her wide, blue eyes mirroring my own onyx ones as we shared a huge grin and sat towards the back of a crowd in the long, soft grass to watch one of the plays.

The show had barely started and Hitomi and I were almost curled over one another we were laughing so hard and I only looked away really quickly because I thought I could hear something.

Because I don't live very close to the main house and I rarely got to see the head family, it took me a while to recognise the small child sitting by himself under a large, winding tree. It was a little out of the way, so nobody else seemed to notice the small boy as he cried, wiping at his own onyx eyes with his chubby hands.

Blinking, that's when I noticed it was another Uchiha; and not just any Uchiha, it was _Sasuke_ Uchiha– the second son to the head of our clan, Fugaku.

I frowned. What was he doing over there all by himself? Wasn't his mummy worried?

"Hitomi, would you mind if we missed the rest of the puppet show?" I asked, gently tugging on the sleeve of her emerald kimono.

I saw her head move as she turned to see what I was looking at, before she too noticed the small boy. "Do you think he's lost? He can't be much older than 4 and I don't see any adults around." She bit her thumb in concern as we both rose to our feet and made our way clumsily over to Sasuke, holding up the ends of our Kimono in an attempt to not dirty the expensive material.

Daddy would kill me if found out I ruined his present.

When we knelt down in front of Sasuke, he stopped crying immediately and gazed up to stare at us with large, innocent eyes.

"Uchiha!" He said happily, pointing to me with his small hand.

Hitomi and I looked at each other gleefully before I turned to smile at Sasuke. "That's right, Uchiha." I repeated slowly, pointing at myself and grinning. "Are you lost? Where's your mummy and daddy?"

At the mention of his parents, Sasuke started to cry all over again.

I held my hands out soothingly, "H-hey, don't get upset. This is my best friend, Hitomi and she's going to help me search for your parents, okay?"

Sasuke peeked up again through his hands. "And brother?"

I nodded slowly, I had seen and heard of Sasuke's brother many times before. After all, he was the pride and air to the Uchiha clan and first born to succeed his father, Fugaku. Since we were the same age, he would have been in my class at the Academy if he hadn't already graduated at the age of seven.

At the thought of finding his older brother, Sasuke seemed to perk up and he then stretched out his arms in my direction and spread his hands wide. With a lot of effort on my part, I managed to lift him into my arms and balance him on my hip, only wobbling a tiny bit.

Hitomi and I searched high and low with the youngest Uchiha air resting snuggly in my arms. We searched almost _every_ food and drink stall and pushed through the crowds at every dance, puppet and music show we came across, but still had no luck finding Sasuke's family. He was beginning to get a little too heavy and I would have put the toddler down for a rest because my arms were starting to ache, but he had fallen asleep against my chest and I didn't want to risk him waking up and crying again.

Finally, we gave up and started to head back slowly to the water fountain where we promised to meet our parents almost _two_ hours ago.

We were so dead. Mummy hated it when I was late to things and didn't tell her beforehand.

Inching towards the fountain, we edged down the busy street nervously until we could just make out our parents if we squinted really, _really_ hard. They were standing in a small group at the edge of the water feature, their brows creased with worry as they searched the area for signs of our arrival.

That's when I noticed another family standing on the opposite side of the fountain looking as equally worried and soon realised with wide eyes that it was the family we had been searching for with Sasuke for most of the night.

I alerted Hitomi straight away and we both broke out in huge grins as we began to make our way much faster towards the families, as I struggled along with the heavy toddler sound asleep against my shoulder.

Sasuke's family seemed to notice us first as we continued to shuffle against the crowd and I lifted my hand as best I could while still trying to balance the boy in my other arm to give a frantic wave. His mummy lifted her own hand to her lips in relief, whispering something to her husband before they raced down the steps and in our direction.

What surprised me the most though was the look of pure solace that filled his older brother's eyes at the site of seeing Sasuke safe and sound as he followed behind his parents smoothly.

I held Sasuke out to his mummy as soon as we were close enough and she scooped him from my shaking arms, tears filling her eyes.

"We were so worried! So worried!" She let out a long breathe as she hugged the sleeping toddler against her cheek, rocking him back and forth.

I tried to give some sort of response even though she wasn't really talking to me, but all I could do was pant heavily and rest my hands on my knees as I tried to catch my own breathe.

"Hikaru actually found Sasuke here under a tree by himself and so we've been searching everywhere to find you." Hitomi explained for me with a kind smile, gesturing with her hand.

The three turned to me and I grew red in the face, I wasn't used to all this attention and gave a long and awkward bow because I knew that's what people did when they were talking with anyone from the main family.

Sasuke's mummy pulled me up and into a swift hug. "Thank you my darling girl! Thank you, thank you." she whispered through the thick layer of my hair.

I would have said something back, if it hadn't been for my own mummy stomping her way down the steps after finally spotting me, Hitomi's parents hot on her heels. I've never seen three people look so relieved and so angry at the same time, so instead of thanking the clan lady properly, I stepped back in alarm and let out a bit of a wail.

"Hikaru Uchiha, don't you _dare_ move! Where in god's name have you been, young lady? Do you know how worried I've been?!" She started loudly as she marched her way up towards us.

I don't think she realised the head of the clan, the clan lady and the two clan airs stood just to the side watching the entire scene unfold in front of them, otherwise I'm sure she would have acted very differently. She's the one that taught me it was not polite to lose your temper around such important people.

"Mum, I was just-" I tried quietly, fumbling with the hem of my kimono and looking down at my feet. I loved my mummy but I hated getting into trouble.

"And Hitomi's parents aswell? They were just as worried about their own daughter. Oh, Hikaru!" She reached us, dropping down on her knees in front of me and pulling me into a hug so tightly that I was worried my kimono would crush underneath her.

"But, mummy I was only-"

"Hikaru, honey, if you didn't know how long an hour was you should have just told me. I wouldn't have gotten angry at you for not being able to tell the time properly." Mummy continued, tucking my hair behind my ears and pressing her hands against my cheeks so they pushed together and made me look like a fish. In front of the main family, too.

Sasuke's daddy gave a slight 'ahem' and mummy and I both turned to look in their direction, my face still squished into the shape of a fish.

The lips of Sasuke's older brother twitched slightly in amusement and before I could stop myself, I pouted and shot him an embarrassed glare.

Mummy froze and then stumbled before shooting up quickly and dusting herself off. "O-oh, forgive me Lord Fugaku, Lady Mikoto, I failed to notice your presence and for that I sincerely apologise." She bowed down lower than I had.

Fugaku did look slightly displeased, but before he could say something I saw Mikoto gently reach out to touch him on the arm, giving us a warm smile in return. "Please do not act too harshly with your daughter, Kaori. Both Hitomi and Hikaru were late getting back to you because they were helping return Sasuke after he became lost in the crowds. I am very grateful to both your daughters for safely returning my son to me." Her voice sounded just as beautiful as she looked.

All eyes were on me again when my mummy turned swiftly to look at me, before looking back to Mikoto, then over to Sasuke, down to me for a second and finally back to Mikoto again.

I felt my face go red, I wasn't very pleased with all the attention and I really hoped the adults didn't talk for _too_ long, I didn't want to miss any more puppet shows tonight.

As Hitomi's parents joined the conversation with my mummy and the Uchiha leaders, I let myself look up through my lashes and straight into the eyes of Sasuke's older brother, Itachi.

He was only a little taller than me and he tilted his head a fraction to the right, offering me a slight smile. I whipped my eyes stubbornly back to the ground so fast I think I made myself dizzy. I decided to not look up again after that.

The adults continued to talk right up until the announcement was made that there was only five minutes left before the fireworks would be let off. I felt a big smile spread across my cheeks and I looked up into the air excitedly, tugging at my mummy's sleeve.

"Mummy, we have to get a good spot for the fireworks! We just have to!" My eyes were wide with anticipation.

I couldn't understand why Fugaku had looked down at me with such a big frown, had I interrupted him? I think Itachi noticed too because I thought I saw his eyes narrow a little when he saw his father looking unhappily at me.

Mikoto smiled warmly however and offered for everybody to join her as we all made our way to the big, open space on the grassy fields and I made sure to get a good seat right between Hitomi and mummy. Sasuke made a small gurgling noise before yawning and waking loudly in Mikoto's arms, immediately he crawled to plonk himself right in the middle of my lap.

Everybody looked a little shocked at first, but I couldn't tell if it was Itachi or myself who was more surprised, although I was just as happy to have the bouncing toddler keep my legs warm against the now cool breeze.

The first firework clapped loudly over everybody's heads in a splash of rainbow, there was an impressed series of 'oohh' and 'aahh' and Sasuke squealed in delight, throwing his little hands into the air happily. I watched the rest of the show in silent awe, leaning back contently on my own hands with a broad grin as I tipped my head towards the flashing sky.

At the end of the show, I made sure I clapped the most loudest and looked down again from the sky to catch Itachi clapping softly and smiling lightly in Sasuke's direction as the toddler slapped his hands together and giggled. Itachi's gaze moved to fall right on mine and we stared at each other for a small moment before I looked back down to Sasuke, my face feeling slightly hot because I had just been caught staring.

A little while after the show, Hitomi's parents excused themselves politely and after exchanging a tight hug with my best friend, I watched my second family retreat into the still bustling crowd as the festivities continued well past the stroke of midnight. The remaining adults continued to talk and I tried to pay as much attention as I could, but my eyes became heavy as I fought to stay awake.

Sasuke was curled fast asleep in my own lap and I was just starting to nod off when Itachi's smooth, deep voice pulled me back from my half-asleep state.

"I believe Sasuke and Hikaru are growing tired, I would be happy to escort Hikaru to her door upon taking Sasuke home." He offered, rising to his feet gracefully and moving to take the small boy from my lap, extending his hand to help me get to my own feet.

I couldn't help but notice as I gingerly took his outstretched palm, that he talked so much like an adult.

Then I was pulled to my feet much faster than I expected and let out a small gasp of air as I came face to face with Itachi, I almost stumbled backwards in shock but the same hand shot out and caught me against my arm and I just managed to keep my balance.

My mummy looked very happy with the idea, sending a beaming smile towards both of us. "Oh, of course! I trust my daughter will be safe with someone of your abilities."

Strange, mummy never let me go anywhere with strangers usually.

Itachi's mummy seemed just as pleased, grinning warmly and eagerly at her son, while Fugaku merely gave a short nod, not even bothering to look in the direction of Itachi.

He seemed to eye me, though, as I turned to make my way through the crowds and back towards the Uchiha compound, Itachi close by my side and carrying a sleeping Sasuke.

I found it very hard to move through so many gathered people, but then I felt Itachi's hand as it gently pressed against the middle of my back and he began to guide me smoothly through the crowds.

As we neared the Uchiha district, the people slowly began to disappear before it was just me and Itachi as we stepped through the gates and into the quiet compound. I couldn't help but shiver a little against the cool air and lifted my hands to wrap around my shoulders.

"Cold?" Itachi asked suddenly. I was a little shocked at the question and he didn't wait for me to say yes or no before slipping off the top coat of his yukata to drape gently around my hunched shoulders. I straight away felt warmer and pulled it much tighter around me. It smelt nice.

We walked side by side in silence until I could spot my little, red lantern swaying peacefully in the breeze and smiled.

"Hikaru," Itachi's voice sounded like velvet. "I would like to extend my appreciation for your assistance to my little brother tonight, he does not usually take so well to others." He finished, looking over at me.

Our eyes locked and I found myself stumbling over my next words. "O-oh, well…that's okay." I replied lamely and quickly busied myself with opening the front sliding door. "Thank you for walking me back home, my mummy would have worried otherwise." I added after a little bit, hiding behind the edge of the door frame.

He gave a slight smile and a nod and then watched right up until I had closed the door back over behind me.

After walking back into my room, I noticed right then that I was still wrapped in the top coat of his silk Yukata. I moved as quickly as I could to the window and looked right out over the hanging lantern and down each end of the street, but Itachi had already gone.


	2. Invitations and Dinners

**Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto. I do own the basic plot and the OC characters.**

* * *

The next time I saw Itachi wasn't until two weeks after the Summer festival.

I didn't mind, but didn't he realise part of his yukata was missing?

The very day after the celebrations though, two ginormous baskets were delivered right to my front door. They were filled to the very top with all kind of chocolates and flowers and even though the small, gold card was signed by Mikoto in neat, cursive handwriting, she also wrote underneath that they were gifts intended by her entire family. So, I guess that meant Itachi too.

Mummy didn't like the chocolate very much because she thought it was too sweet, but I made sure she wouldn't feel bad by eating up all of hers as well as mine so that nothing was left.

School had already been back for a whole week and I was just skipping out of the academy gates after a long day of lessons. I was by myself, but I didn't mind because Hitomi was at home sick today and mummy promised we could drop by later with some home-cooked dinner to cheer her up.

I unravelled the paper around my sweet, rice snack and hummed to myself happily, I had been looking forward to this all day. I was supposed to eat it for lunch, but I decided instead to go do extra practice with some of my friends in the dojo because we were starting to learn some pretty neat tricks in class. I opened my mouth wide to take a big bite when a whiny voice stopped me.

"Hey, you!"

They didn't sound very friendly, but I turned anyway just in case they were talking to me.

A girl with light, blue hair had a polished finger pointed straight at me and she came marching down the academy steps with a couple of older girls trailing along right after her.

"Don't look so innocent, we _saw_ you with Itachi Uchiha at the festival two weeks ago. Is he your family or something?"

I blinked, it was pretty obvious we were both Uchiha. I decided to answer anyway though, because mummy had always said it was impolite not to answer a question when asked. "We're both from the…Uchiha…clan" I trailed off shyly when her face screwed up and her nose wrinkled. Why was she so angry at me?

"I _know_ you're from the same clan, stupid girl. What I _want_ to know is your exact relation to him."

I looked down at my feet and kicked at the ground with the tip of my shoe. "Our ancestors aren't linked closely enough for us to be directly related…we're just of the same clan." I mumbled unhappily.

"So he isn't like, your brother?"

I shook my head, no.

"Cousin?"

I shook my head again.

"Ha!" the girl with blue hair cackled. "Figures someone like yourself wouldn't be directly related to someone as cool as the Uchiha air. Still, it makes me wonder why he was with you in the first place then. _Surely_ someone like Itachi wouldn't be interested in such a little mouse! As the next head of the clan, he should have a proper and _worthy_ lady by his side." She held her finger up matter-of-factly.

I frowned. I didn't know what she meant but I did _not_ like it when people were mean to me. I tried to turn away because my mummy would worry if I came home late _again_, but her hand reached out and grabbed my wrist. I watched with wide eyes as my rice snack tumbled quickly to the ground with a splat.

The mean girl was about to say something else when a new voice cut her off. "Is there a problem here?"

All four of us turned our heads slowly in the direction of the voice to see Itachi himself. Blue-hair let go of my wrist very suddenly, pushing me back to let out a squeal. "Itachi! We were _just_ asking lovely Hikaru here about you!"

I stumbled back, squishing my sticky snack right under the heel of my favourite sandal.

Then, I got angry because I noticed how long and shiny the other three girl's hair looked, all done up so you could see their faces. I tugged at a strand of my own black hair and remembered trying to pull it up into a pretty hairstyle when we were practicing basic blocking skills earlier this morning. I tried, I really had to make it look beautiful, but it ended up in a small half-pony instead, little strands falling out all around my shoulders messily.

I was so mad that I pushed right past the two older girls, right past blue-hair and right past Itachi to stomp through the gates and down the street.

It was only a few moments before he fell in step beside me. I turned back over my shoulder to see the three girls from before glaring angrily at our retreating figures. Great, I was probably going to get bullied tomorrow now.

I tried to pick up my pace, swinging my hands angrily by my sides, but he kept up easily and looked over.

"Hikaru, if there are problems at the Academy I may be of some assistance-" Itachi began as I huffed along beside him.

"I don't need you to help me." I pouted hastily, refusing to look at him. "It's fine."

"Then you should have no objections against informing me as to the contents of your conversation with those students?" He pushed.

The big words confused me and I hit one foot against the other clumsily. Itachi moved so fast I felt his hand rather than see it as he reached out to stop me before I could hit the ground, but I pushed him off stubbornly. "What do you want, anyway? If this is about your yukata then I've been _trying_ to give it back to you, I just haven't seen you around." I said, trying to keep the disappointment out of my voice.

He looked surprised for a moment before answering, "Forgive me, I have been occupied, however my mother has sent me to extend an invitation."

My eyebrows rose as he answered my unspoken question, "She would like to enquire as to whether your mother and you would join our family for tea later this evening."

I stopped and looked at him. Then, I kept walking, noticing vaguely as we entered the compound. The guards never stood up that tall when I walked through the gates…

"I don't like tea much." I grumbled.

"There will be other things available." He didn't miss a beat.

I allowed my eyes to slide back over to him again. "Like what kinds of other things?"

"Various dinner options, sweets-" He didn't need to continue, my face lighting up immediately at the thought, to which his own lips twitched upwards.

I looked away quickly and continued walking. "Well, I'll think about it." I answered firmly.

I had been walking so quickly that I failed to notice how far into the compound we were, until I saw my mummy waving from our front garden happily, her hair in a messy disarray around her face. When she spotted Itachi, she tried to smooth it behind her ears but I don't think that really made it look much better.

"Itachi! How lovely it is to see you again!" She beamed as we reached the front door. "Please, come in, come in."

I rose an eyebrow as she rushed us both inside in front of her and immediately began boiling the kettle. Itachi sat politely at our small table and folded his hands gently in front of his face against the surface, which managed to stay perfectly still even though it wobbled as soon as anyone else sat close to it. I stood grumpily, arms folded and slouched against the door-frame as I listened impatiently when they began talking about things that didn't interest me, like clan gatherings and different types of tea. When Itachi _finally_ told my mummy about his family's invitation, she almost jumped right out of her chair she was grinning so wide.

"Of course, we would be thrilled! Wouldn't we, Hikaru?" She answered, not actually stopping so I could answer. "Six, you said?"

Itachi nodded, but I stomped my foot against the ground. "But mum! We're supposed to taking Hitomi over her home-cooked meal! She's sick, remember?!" I whined.

Mummy did not look happy. "Hikaru, please!" She turned back to Itachi quickly to apologise. "We will send Hitomi over two meals tomorrow night to make up for it, it would be very rude for us to ignore such an invitation."

I sulked into my room then and listened as they spoke for another few minutes. The moment Itachi was out the door, mummy was in my room in a flurry. "Hikaru! Quickly, we must get a move on, we have only an hour before we have to leave to be at the main house in time for dinner. Come on, get off that futon of yours and go and get yourself cleaned up." She urged, pushing me into the tub-room.

Mummy made sure I was completely scrubbed all over before drying me off quickly and shoving me into a satin kimono. I wanted to wear my favourite gold one again, but she told me that because it was a formal dinner with the main family, that it wouldn't be appropriate.

Instead, she helped me into a deep, blue kimono and tied the silver obi around my waist in another big bow right at the very back. I held my arms up to get a better look and I _guess_ this one wasn't too bad after all; I did like the pretty silver swirls.

I didn't like mine as much as mummy's though and I stared up at her beautiful dark-red Kimono that pooled against the ground in long strands of silk at our feet. I was jealous that she could pull her hair into a silky, high-bun and wished I could have a pair of pretty, dangly chopsticks to decorate my own hair, but I was forced to leave mine down around my shoulders again because mummy told me she would sooner die before letting me out of the house again with the half-pony.

I didn't want that, so I just tucked the front bits behind my ears and we began our walk through to the centre of the compound.

I couldn't believe how big the main house was and we had to even go through two whole gates just to get to the front door. The gardens were so pretty, with really big water fountains and cherry trees all over the place. My favourite part was crossing over the small, red bridge that led us right up to the front door and I twirled along happily in front of mummy, trying to reach over the edge and so I could splash my hands in the water.

I got roused on for that, though, because mummy didn't want my kimono getting soaked.

"Mikoto, thank you for having us over this evening for dinner, it's so wonderful to see you again!" Mummy said after we both bowed down low when she slid open the door.

"Likewise, Kaori. You look lovely and it's a pleasure to see you again. I'm sorry we've been very busy since the festival, but you are both welcome here anytime. Hikaru you look simply stunning!" Mikoto smiled warmly at my mummy before beaming down at me. I couldn't help but grin back, she was such a nice lady.

As we walked through the house, I hid behind my mummy shyly, clutching at the bottom of her Kimono and peeking out around her legs. I've never seen rooms this big before in all my life! Sasuke looked up from his spot on the plush rug and immediately raced over, toys flying all over the place. Thinking he was going to stop, I was unprepared when the toddler ran straight into my legs, knocking us both over so we rolled onto the ground.

My mummy looked back and laughed warmly before patting me on the head. "You play with Sasuke now while I help Mikoto fix the dinner, okay honey? There's my good girl."

I nodded up affectionately from my position on the ground as I watched my mummy follow Mikoto into the next room. I tried to pry Sasuke off next, but that only made him grip me tighter around the waist, giggling loudly. "Hiku, Hiku!" He cried happily.

"No, Sasuke. HI-KA-RU." I tried to tell him and push him off at the same time.

"Hiku!" He sung loudly, throwing himself right into my face.

"Gah, Sasuke!" I spluttered, trying to recover when the small boy was lifted from me suddenly, leaving me sprawled flat on the floor and looking up at –

Itachi.

I frowned when he chuckled lightly.

"I apologise for my little brother's actions. It would seem he has grown quite attached to you." He said, joining me as he knelt on his knees on the wooden floor just in front. I ignored his outstretched arm and pushed myself up using my own two hands and into a cross-legged position.

I almost fell back down again when Sasuke pointed at Itachi, then to me and went, "You can't have Hiku, Tachi. She's mine."

My face went bright red, but Itachi merely smiled down at his brother. "Is that so, Sasuke?"

The toddler nodded, but seemed more focused on other things as he grabbed at a couple of scattered toys and began to bash them lightly against the floor.

I hastily tucked the front of my hair back behind my ears and was just smoothing down the sides when Itachi looked back up to me, our eyes locking.

"You look very nice this evening, Hikaru."

I froze, slowly taking my hands away from my head and looking anywhere but the boy in front of me. "T-thanks. I wanted to wear my other kimono since gold is my favourite colour, but mummy made me wear this one instead." I blabbed, holding my arms out so he could see the sleeves better. "See? This one just isn't as pretty as my other one."

Itachi just smiled. "Since our meal is not yet ready, is there anything you would like to do?"

At this, I brightened. "I didn't get a chance to play in the gardens on the way in…" I suggested hopefully and followed when Itachi got to his feet, lifting Sasuke up with him.

I decided then that Itachi wasn't all that bad after all, because he let me lean over the side of the bridge so I could splash my hands around in the water. He did have to grab me by the back of my kimono a few times though when I leant in too far and pull me back up, but he didn't seem to mind.

After the fourth time though, I settled with sitting on the edge of the bridge next to him, dangling my legs over so the tips of my feet just touched the surface.

Neither of us talked but it didn't feel weird, like that awkward silence you got when nobody knew what to say. I leant back and pressed my back against the bridge, my legs still dangling over the edge and lifted my arms out on either side of my head.

Itachi turned to glance down at me, but I didn't care if my hair looked funny this time because I could get such a good look at the moon from this angle, so I was too busy grinning up at sky to notice.

When Mikoto poked her head from behind the front door, she smiled at the site. "You three, dinner is being served so head back inside in the next few minutes okay?" She told us. "Your father is on his way too, Itachi." She seemed to add, her smile faltering slightly before she closed the door back over behind her.

I looked from Mikoto to Itachi, and didn't miss the hardened look in his eyes before his face returned to normal.

* * *

In the end, we only had to wait a couple of minutes before I heard Itachi's daddy slide open the front door. By this time, we had all seated ourselves around a big, glossy dining table, although Sasuke had been placed in a small highchair in the space next to Mikoto. I was so nervous when Fugaku entered through the archway that mummy had to nudge me with her foot so that I remembered to stand with the rest of the family, and we all bowed down as he moved to take his seat at the head of the table.

When he gave a sharp nod, we were allowed to sit back down. I was just about to reach my hand up to grab a yummy looking bread roll from the middle of the banquet, when Itachi's own hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. Because it was from under the table, nobody else happened to notice and even when I turned to look at Itachi, he only pressed harder against my skin so that I moved to look back towards the rest of the table instead. It didn't hurt though, which I was happy about even though I didn't understand what he was doing.

Fugaku was looking straight at me then, and he reached in and took the first portion of food for himself. The atmosphere seemed to relax and everybody piled all sorts of delicious foods on top of their own plates. Itachi took another moment to let go of my wrist, letting it fall back to my side. I didn't look at him this time, instead reaching in to grab that bread roll before anyone else had the chance to take it before me.

I was glad in the end that Itachi had decided to sit in the chair next to me, because when I looked down to start my meal, I froze. I don't think I have ever seen so many knives and forks in all my life, wasn't it usually just one of each? I had just lifted my hands eagerly, ready to take one and dig in when I realised I wasn't sure exactly which one to pick up. That's when Itachi's hand slid in from the side and he nudged the fork on the very outside, pushing it slightly in my direction.

I was grateful when he continued to do that for the rest of the night in such a subtle manner that nobody else realised and so I didn't end up looking like too much of an idiot.

Dessert came out next and I thought I had seriously died and gone to heaven because almost every type of ice-cream and cake was placed on the table in front of me. I was already so full from dinner, but that didn't stop me from getting Itachi to cut me the biggest slab of chocolate cake my mum allowed and place it right in the middle of my plate. As I munched happily, I noticed Itachi had even begun taking small bites from the green-coloured, plain cake on his own plate.

I don't blame him for only cutting a small piece though, green foods usually weren't very nice.

I pointed at it with my fork and said, "Whatcha eating?"

"It's a Tea Sponge, would you like try some?" He offered, to which I wrinkled my nose.

"I don't even like tea, what makes you think I'll like tea flavoured cake?" I reminded him, shaking my head in response.

He ignored me completely and cut a piece, putting it on the side of my plate with his fork. At first, I refused to even touch it and continued on eating my way through the yummy chocolate cake. He didn't take it back though and I ended up not being able to resist, chewing on it slowly at first before swallowing. Surprisingly, it really wasn't all that bad.

Itachi looked at me expectantly and I stuck my tongue out. "Not as great as chocolate, but it's not _totally_ gross."

He smiled, to which I flashed him a grin before asking him to cut me a second piece.

* * *

After the plates were cleared, the three of us ended up sitting back in the large centre room with the fluffy rug. Sasuke sat happily in the corner, throwing his toys around while Itachi watched me carefully as I tried to lean back far enough to spy on the adults who were _still_ talking in the dining room. They had been in there for _a_g_es._

I looked back at Itachi.

"What do you think they're talking about? I can't hear." I asked, still trying to strain my neck to see around the corner.

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure if they wanted us to take part in their conversation, we would have been informed." Was his boring reply.

I ignored him this time, crawling over so I could get a closer look.

I didn't get very far though because his hand reached out to grab the back of my kimono, similar to what he had done in the garden earlier, and pulled me back from the doorway.

I pouted angrily and kicked my legs.

"Itachi!" I whined as he placed me back on the ground next to him. "We'll never hear what they're saying this way!"

He gave me a look but didn't get a chance to reply before Mikoto and mummy walked straight through the archway I had just been crawling towards, telling me it was time we headed home because I had lessons early in the morning.

We said our goodbyes quickly and mummy ended up having to carry me half way back to the house I was so tired. When she placed me in my futon and pulled up the covers though, one last thought crossed my mind before I drifted off to sleep.

_I had forgotten to take the yukata… _


	3. Escorts and Conflict

**Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto. I do own the basic plot and the OC characters**

* * *

I hadn't expected the third time I saw Itachi to be so soon after the dinner, considering the gap between our first two meetings had been just over two weeks.

So, the very next morning I slipped on an old pair of my dark, green leggings, a plain T-shirt and much to my mummy's horror, pulled my hair into the half-pony again.

I was excited because today was the day we were going to start learning some basic taijutsu, so I reasoned with her that I needed to have my hair completely out of my face if I wanted to do well in class.

I flung the sliding door open and turned my head back to yell a loud goodbye down the hall so mummy could hear. When I looked back, I froze, and almost shut the door again with a surprised 'eep!'.

Waiting at the bottom of the steps, was Itachi.

"What are you doing here?!" I asked him when I had finally calmed down.

"I wish to walk with you to the academy." He replied and pushed himself off the gate he was leaning against.

I looked at him for a moment before saying, "You really _should_ warn me before you pop up all over the place, you know."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

I responded by pointing a finger at my hair, strands falling around my face and shoulders from the messy half up-do. "So that I don't wear my hair like this on the days you do."

He smiled then and simply said, "I like your hair like that."

Even when I pointed out to him that I knew he was lying, because even _mummy_ didn't like my hair like this, I couldn't help but smile too.

"Hikaru? Hikaru! What are you still doing there standing in the-" Mummy froze the same way I had when she turned the corner to see Itachi. Then, she grinned. "Itachi! What brings you here this morning? I mean, not that it's a bother at all, feel free to drop by any time you want!"

I looked at her suspiciously.

"Thank you for the offer, and if you have no objections I wish to escort Hikaru to the academy on my way to the training grounds." Was his ever polite reply. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, well of course! That's perfectly fine with me, what a kind and generous thing to do. Don't you think that's very kind of him to do that for you, Hikaru?"

"W-well, I guess-"

"Look at the time! Hurry now, you don't want to be late. What was it you're learning today? Thai-something wasn't it? Is that some kind of cooking?"

I almost fell over. "Tai_jutsu_ mum, and no it's not cooking!"

"Yes, yes that was it. Now get going or you'll be late!" She shoved my sandals into my hands and ushered me down the steps.

It was hard enough I had to try and get my sandals on my feet while standing, let alone walking down the street. I had to use Itachi's shoulder for support as I hopped along beside him and tried to get the buckle clipped up properly.

When I had finally managed and we passed through the gates of the compound, I frowned suddenly.

"You were lying, you know."

He looked at me for a moment. "Was I?"

"Yep. Academy is this way." I said, pointing in the direction we were currently heading before jerking my thumb to the left, "And training grounds are thata way."

He ignored me.

As we reached the gates of the academy I began looking around nervously. Sure enough, blue-hair and her group of friends were standing just near the entrance way. They looked up when they saw me coming and were just about to head over when they spotted Itachi walking next to me. I admit, I think his face looked a bit different from how it normally did, because they backed off straight away and walked in the opposite direction.

We turned to each other then.

"Well, thanks for walking with me I guess. You really didn't have to though, it's only a short walk from the compound and anyway, I know how to take care of myself." I said, pointing a thumb into my chest.

"As I have already mentioned, I was merely walking with you on the way to the training grounds."

I frowned and was about to point out to him that he was lying _again_ when a paper bag was held in front of my face. He placed it into my hands gently and I peered inside to see the biggest sweet, rice snack I have ever seen.

I looked up in surprise, but Itachi had already begun to walk back down the road we had just come.

"Thank you!" I yelled after him, cupping my hands around my mouth.

He tilted his head to the side to indicate he had heard, and then just like that, he was gone again.

* * *

It was the special time of day I had been waiting for.

I had put up with every other boring lesson about flower arranging, country cultures and shinobi rules, to _finally_ being able to line up outside the dojo for our taijutsu practice. The line was pretty long because there were a lot of students waiting, but I didn't mind.

Lunch had just finished and since Hitomi was still at home not feeling well, I sat with the rest of our group in our favourite spot right under the biggest cherry tree in the entire academy grounds! Even though I missed Hitomi a lot, my other friends are still just as cool. Their names are Shin, Emi, Manami and Daichi.

Shin is a little rounder than most of the other kids at the academy, but that's only because he loves food. He's also the nicest boy I've ever met and one time, he even let me go in front of him at the ice-cream stall closer to the middle of town because I was in a hurry to get back home, so I've liked him heaps ever since then because I didn't get into trouble for being late.

Even though Emi's glasses are much too big for her face, she's really, _really_ smart and so I always have to make sure I sit next to her in class so she can help me catch up on my homework. Manami and Daichi only started sitting with us a little while ago, but they're twins which I think is really neat, even though they would probably kick me in the shins if I told them to their faces because they never get along. Manami's hair is really long, just like Hitomi's, except hers is brown and she always wears it in a long braid so it doesn't get in her way while she's climbing trees and stuff.

Both Manami and Daichi, who always has scratches over his knees and dirt on his face, are a little bit violent sometimes and they can't come over after school most afternoons because they've got detention, but they're really fun to sit next to in class because they play funny jokes on the teacher.

During lunch, I had been shovelling my rice snack that Itachi gave me this morning before school into my mouth so fast that Manami had to try and get me to slow down. I didn't listen to her, though, but I wish I had because I was starting to feel a little sick in the tummy as we waited patiently in the line for our turn.

Well, Daichi wasn't really waiting very quietly at all and he had already been told by the teacher a few times that if he didn't stop swearing he would get another week's worth of detention added onto his others.

I clapped my hands excitedly and jumped up and down on the spot when our group made it to the very front of the line. Before we were allowed inside, though, we had to sign our names under a really long and boring line of writing.

– _I will not use taijutsu unless it is for the purpose of self-defensive, to protect myself or my loved ones. I will not use taijutsu unless it is for the purpose of a mission and to ensure the successful outcome of a mission. I will not use taijutsu unless it is for the purpose of training or a training exercise. I will not use taijutsu unless it is for the purpose of the best interests of the village. –_

I shrugged and signed in a messy scribble under Emi's loopy handwriting.

The mousy haired girl leaned over to me and whispered suddenly from behind her hand, "What do you think that was for?"

"I just figured it's like all the other academy rules." I whispered back with a half-smile. In honesty, I hadn't paid much attention because I was too excited about getting inside the dojo.

We entered through the huge double doors and into the wooden building and I'm pretty sure my mouth fell wide open because the ceiling was so high I had to squint just to see the very top. When we were told to get into pairs, Emi asked Shin to be her partner and Daichi went with Manami, so I ended up having to partner up with Teacher Iruka.

"Oh my, another Uchiha! We've had so many of you pass through this academy to become very successful ninjas, I've actually lost count!" He grinned widely when I told him my last name.

The first move we practiced was a simple block, where person A had to strike and person B had to step back and move their hands to stop the attack. Then, we added a sequence onto the end and turned it into a defence move called, The Twist and Block. Because it was only a drill, we weren't allowed to move very fast and had to listen to the counts from Teacher Iruka before moving onto the next step.

It was easy enough, and I repeated the steps in my head to help me remember as the teacher counted slowly and clearly.

1. The opponent strikes

2. Step back with right foot

3. Both palms up quick to guard face, right hand over left

4. Catch opponents fist in right hand

5. Move left hand up to hold opponents wrist

6. Step under opponents attacking arm and out from under the other side, keep strong hold

7. Pull opponents arm up and back

8. Sharp kick in the back of opponents knee

9. Once opponents falls, thrust them forward hard until they lie flat on their front

10. Keep opponents arm twisted high, foot firmly placed on the middle of their back, rendering them unable to attack.

We repeated the sequence a couple of times and I think I was really starting to get the hang of it by the end even though I had been a little off-balance at the beginning.

"My, Hikaru, you're a natural! I'm very impressed with how strong and fluid your movements are." Teacher Iruka praised.

I beamed at him, I was really enjoying the class so far and when I pointed this out, he patted me on the head gently.

The rest of the lesson went quickly and we only managed to learn a couple of other short moves before our turn was up. I wish we could have stayed for longer, but there were other students still waiting outside for their go, so I didn't argue when the drum was hit at the end the session.

After bowing to our opponents, the five of us raced out through the back doors.

"That was so cool!" Daichi said, pounding his fist in the air and jumping. "Did you see how good I was? Guys, we're going to be full-fledged ninja in no time!"

I couldn't help but grin, because I was one step closer to being just like daddy.

* * *

I half expected to see Itachi waiting for me by the gates when school ended at four this afternoon, but after looking both ways I couldn't spot him anywhere.

Shrugging, I didn't mind because I had made sure to pack two huge containers of Hitomi's favourite noodle dish to take over straight after lessons today, so I didn't want to have to make him walk _all_ the way over to her house and back too.

I slung my heavy backpack over my shoulder and walked happily down the streets. Because it was still only early, the air was really nice and warm and the sun shone brightly onto the busy streets.

As I trotted along through the centre of town, I turned into the street that had my _favourite_ ice-cream stall. I didn't have time to stop today though, because I wanted to get these dinners to Hitomi as soon as I could to make up for not being able to visit her yesterday.

The street wasn't as busy as a couple of the others because it was mostly restaurants, so it didn't usually get crowded until closer to dinner.

That's when I spotted Shin just up ahead, holding a huge banana split sundae. I started to wave and was just about to call out when a group of three older boys walked over to him instead. _That's funny_, I thought as I lowered my arm slowly. He never mentioned having older brothers.

"Hey, look at this guys, _fatso's_ treating himself to an ice-cream!" The one in the middle with the goofy looking face pointed, the other two howling loudly with laughter.

Shin looked down at the ice-cream in his hand sadly and I suddenly dropped my backpack to my feet with a thud. Running the short distance, I stepped right in-between the three bullies and Shin.

The one in the middle sneered. "Well, well, well. What do we have ourselves here? An _Uchiha_!"

There was a loud chorus of disapproving jeers and the oldest boy stepped right up to my face. I gulped, he _was_ a lot taller up close…

"What the matter, _Uchiha_? Not as tough as you first thought you were?" He taunted, flicking me painfully in the forehead.

"Yeah, you think you're better than us just because of your stupid name?" The boy from the side chimed in, pushing me harshly so that I stumbled over my feet. As I tried to keep my balance, I thought about the rule we learned before our taijutsu lesson today. Did this count as self-defence? The older boys were bullying Shin, but would I get in trouble if I bullied them back? I didn't want to be naughty.

They turned back on Shin when he tried to step in, pushing him much harder so that his sundae flew from his open hand and he ended up falling right through a big, muddy puddle on the side of the street.

"How embarrassing, having a girl fight your battles for you, _fatso_. Why do you even go to the academy in the first place? You'll never be strong enough to be a ninja!" The middle boy spat, all three stepping closer to Shin as he tried to get back off the ground.

And then, I wasn't thinking about the rule we signed before taijutsu class. I wasn't thinking about how much trouble I would get it, or if I would be called mean. The only thing I was thinking about was how scared Shin looked as the three boys surrounded him, and then my fist flew out and hit the boy in front square on his big, ugly nose.

He made a wailing sound and clutched at his face, toppling backwards. When the two boys from the side made a move to grab me, he lifted his other hand and they stopped.

"Wait!" His voice sounded muffled from his hand that still covered most of his face. "I'll deal with this little Uchiha brat myself, she'll pay for that."

I hadn't meant to hit him so hard, just enough so that he would leave Shin alone. I even felt so bad I was about to say sorry, until his own hand connected with my face with so much force I ended up rolling straight over shin, through the muddy puddle of water and into the dirt.

Blood gushed from my nose and lip, down my clothes and onto the dirty ground. I tried not to cry as I staggered to my feet slowly when the boy continued in my direction, his fist raised and ready to strike me again.

If I had noticed my mummy turn the corner at the end of the same street with Fugaku, Itachi and Mikoto, who held Sasuke curled in her arms, I probably wouldn't have done what I did next. But because I hadn't seen them stop suddenly, or hear their voices halt mid-conversation as they took in the scene that played out not far in front of them, my body moved on its own.

The boy thrust his fist out, but this time I was ready. I repeated the steps in my head, right foot back, hands up quick, right over left, catch fist in open palm, left hand firmly grips attacking limb, step down, around and under, pull arm up and back, sharp kick to the back of the knee, thrust forward hard, foot to the middle of the back.

I even surprised myself at how fast I had moved, because in a couple of seconds the boy was flat on his tummy with his face pressed straight into the dirt, his arm twisted back and away from his body painfully in my hands, my foot slammed up against his back.

I didn't have much time to think though, before-

"What. On. **EARTH**. Do. You. Think. You. Are. Doing."

I looked up in surprise and around super-fast at the sound of my mummy's voice in horror. I tried to scramble back and wipe the blood from my face and the dirt from my hair to hide the evidence. When my grip slackened, however, the boy pushed back against me and I went flying backwards.

I looked up when a pair of strong arms caught me around my waist, stopping me from hitting the ground. Itachi did not look pleased as his eyes expertly scanned my face for injuries, but he moved his narrowed gaze into a cold glare and sent it straight at the now retreating boys as they ran off cowardly down the street. When they were completely out of site, Itachi hauled me to my feet, although he made no move to let go.

Mummy and Mikoto covered the short distance between us quickly, looks of terror on their faces. Fugaku, though, stood back with a slightly impressed glint in his eye.

"Hikaru! What have you done? Oh my _god_, look at your face! Is this what you learnt at school today?! Hikaru, you will answer me this second or so help me-"

My mum had knelt down in front of me, her hands inspecting every area of my body and face. She looked so angry that I tried to look up at Itachi for help, but he looked down at me just as unhappily.

"Mrs Uchiha," A quiet voice cut in, as Shin managed to get himself off the ground and rush in our direction. Itachi's grip on me tightened as he tensed at the new voice, moving me further away from Shin. "Please don't be angry with Hikaru, she was only defending me from those bullies. If it wasn't for her, I would have been beaten to a pulp for sure."

My mum looked back to me, her angry look fading. "Sweetie, is this true? Did you defend this boy?"

I tried to give a smile in response, but it only hurt my face and instead I let out a small cry. Itachi's hands softened automatically and his eyes now flashed with concern.

"Come on, we'll talk about this later. Right now we've got to get you and your friend to the hospital to get you both checked out." Mummy quickly said. I've never seen her look so worried.

She was about to try and lift me into her arms so I wouldn't have to walk, but Itachi beat her to it. He moved quickly, lifting me up bridal-style and heading straight in the direction of the hospital. My mum blinked for a second before deciding to help shin instead as he hobbled along behind us.

It was then that I was happy about the amount of blood and dirt caked on my face, because nobody could see the blush rising to my face as I curled against Itachi's chest.


End file.
